MIDDLESBROUGH defender Tommy Smith has opened up on the challenges of what he says has been the "hardest part of his career" after suffering a serious season-ending injury back in October.

But the right-back believes his most testing period is now behind him and although he's understandably reluctant to put an exact timeframe on his return, Smith hopes to be back in and around the first team squad come the start of pre-season.

The 31-year-old joined Boro in the summer of 2022 and while initially on the fringes under Chris Wilder, he established himself as a regular and key player after the appointment of Michael Carrick. Smith looked set to play a central role again this season but his campaign came to a premature end when he ruptured his Achilles in the win over Birmingham City at the Riverside.

"The injury, it's been a tough one," said Smith, in a wide-ranging interview with The Boro Breakdown podcast.

"It's certainly hit me hard in terms of the timeframe of how long I've been out for and how long I'm going to be out for.

"That's been difficult to adapt to. In terms of timeframes, I'm not sure the guys or myself want to put an exact timeframe on when I want to be back, but I'd like to think I've broke the back of it now in terms of the injury.

"I've done six months which has felt like an absolute lifetime. It has been tough. I've been very fortunate that I've not had many injuries in my career, certainly not many long term ones. This has been by far and away the hardest part of my career, absolutely.

"I've done six months. I'm very hopeful I will be in and around it come pre-season but in terms of an exact timeframe, I'm still a little bit unsure and taking it a day as it comes."

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Smith is working closely with Boro's medics on his rehab programme and although he's not yet out on the grass, he's at Rockliffe day to day with his teammates. The most testing time, he says, was the early stages of the injury when he was at home recovering from his surgery.

"One thing we have as footballers that we crave is structure and routine," he said.

"I'm 31 now and have been playing professionally since I was 20, you get accustomed to that routine.

"I know better than anyone that we're spoilt as footballers, we're very lucky to have the job we have. When you go away from that structure, like I have because of this injury, you sort of lose your way a bit and think how do I keep that routine in your life?

"I found that difficult in the first couple of months. Slowly but surely I'm getting that back with my rehab and what I'm doing in the gym."

Smith still has another year to run on his contract at Boro and will hope to be back in the first team fold next season, but his focus right now is solely on getting fit - with some key advice from head coach Carrick proving extremely useful over the course of the last six months.

"Right now, I don't look too far ahead," said Smith.

"That's one thing the manager said to me when I very first got injured, a very good bit of advice actually, I remember he called me a couple of days after and said 'the best bit of advice I can give you is don't look too far ahead, do small milestones, that way they're a lot more achievable'.

"So instead of saying I want to be fit on that day or in seven months I want to be able to do that, instead I'm doing a milestone at a time, and that's what I have been doing. From a personal point of view, I need to get back fit and back on the grass.

"I've missed it enormously, the day to day running of being a player and training and travelling to games. My immediate ambition and goal is to get back with the lads and to be considered to play again. At the minute, I feel like I've missed that so much."

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST IN FULL, IN WHICH SMITH DISCUSSES HIS CAREER AT LENGTH, HOW HIS BORO MOVE CAME ABOUT, CHRIS WILDER AND WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE PART OF THE DRESSING ROOM UNDER CARRICK.